A universal molecular stent method to toughen any hydrogels based on double network concept

Abstract

Double-network hydrogels (DN gels), despite their high water content, are the strongest and toughest soft and wet materials available. However, in conventional DN gels, which show extraordinarily high mechanical performance comparable to that of industrial rubbers, the first network must be a strong polyelectrolyte and this requirement greatly hinders the widespread application of these gels. A general method involving the use of a "molecular stent" for the synthesis of tough DN gels using any hydrophilic polymer as the first network is reported. This is the first reported method for the synthesis of tough DN gels using various neutral or weak polyelectrolyte hydrogels as the first network. This method helps extend the DN gel concept to various functional polymers and may increase the number of applications of hydrogels in various fields. Tough hydrogels can be synthesized from any hydrophilic polymer by the double-network (DN) concept using a molecular stent. The synthesized St-DN gels have excellent strength and toughness comparable to those of conventional tough DN gels and industrial rubbers. This is a promising method for strengthening various functional hydrogels and increasing the scope of their application in various fields. Copyright © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.